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(Last Modified On 1/22/2013)
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(Last Modified On 1/22/2013)
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Species
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Ficus PARAENSIS (Miq.) Miq.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3:298. 1867.
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Synonym
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Urostigma Paraensis Miq. in Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. 6:534. 1847. Ficus myrmecophila Warb. in Karsten & Schenck, Vegetationsbilder 3: t. 2 et sub t. 3-4. 1905. Ficus panamensis Standl. in Contrib. U. S. Nat. Herb. 20:15. 1917. Ficus thelephora Benoist, in Arch. Bot. (Caen) Bull. 3:171. 1929 (1931). Ficus haughtii Standl. in Publ. Bot. Field Mus. Nat. Hist. 17:170. 1937. Ficus uberrima Standl. loc. cit. 177. 1937. Ficus putumayonis Dugand, in Caldasia 14:62. 1942. Ficus arukensis Standl. in Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 75:295. 1948. Ficus manabiensis Standl. Mss.
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Description
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Shrubs, or small to large trees to 10 m. tall. Twigs 2-7 mm. in diameter, glabrous or minutely puberulent, developing a greyish-brown, striate, periderm. Stipules to 35 mm. long, narrowly deltoid, glabrous or minutely puberulent. Lamina 2.5-9 cm. wide X 6-27 cm. long, oblong, oblong-elliptic, oblong- oblanceolate or oblanceolate, glabrous; apex acuminate, the acumen commonly 5- 10 mm. long, but sometimes to 25 mm.; base cordate, emarginate, rounded, or cuneate; lateral veins 9-18 pairs, departing from the midrib at an angle from 10 - 300; basal veins, at least the strongest, departing from the midrib at an angle from 400 600; intercostals scarcely, or somewhat, prominent. Petiole 5-35 (-80) mm. long, 1/3-1/9 (-1/11) the length of the lamina. Figs 10-18 mm. in diameter, globose to sub-pyriform, glabrous or minutely puberulent, borne among the leaves; color greenish or yellowish, sometimes with red streaks and sometimes with crimson basal bracts; peduncle obsolete to 3 mm. long; basal bracts 2-5 mm. long, ovate, connate, puberulent; ostiole 2-4 mm. in diameter, umbonate, to 3 mm. high.
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Habit
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Shrub tree
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Distribution
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Southern Mexico to Peru and northern Brazil, in lowland forests.
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: Barro Colorado Island, Bailey d Bailey 23; Madden Road, Allen 2540. COLON: Rio Fato, Pittier 3893, 3908. PANAMA: San Jose Island, Johnston 627, 251, II34, II74 I365, I409.
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Note
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The ripe receptacles appear to be olive green with purplish stripes and promi- nent purplish osteoles. Johnston (in Sargentia 8:118-119, 1949, sub F. Panamensis), notes that although a strangler, F. paraensis does not appear to kill its host tree. As here understood, Ficus paraensis is a common and widespread species in the lowland rainforest, ranging from southern Mexico (fide Standley) along the Caribbean coast to Panama, thence along the western coast of South America at least as far as Ecuador, and along the eastern coast of South America to the mouth of the Amazon, and westward from this to the foot of the Andes. There are a good many collections, particularly from Central America and the western part of the Amazon basin, with rather thick (5-7 mm. in diameter) twigs. In these same areas, and on the western coast of South America, forms with strongly emarginate (or cordate) leaf bases are also common. I suspect that these collec- tions represent juvenile plants or shoots. Throughout the area of distribution, mention is made that ants build nests on the stems and branches of plants of this species.
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